Vatican City : Pope Francis encouraged women attending a ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday to feel free to breastfeed their children in the church. Pope baptized 28 newborn children of Vatican employees, including thirteen girls and fifteen boys, during a Mass in the Sistine Chapel marking the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
As Francis was speaking, several of the babies began to cry, causing the pontiff to quip “the concert has begun!” “I like to think that the first sermon Jesus gave in the stable was a cry,” he said, referring to the baby Jesus in the manger.
As he has in the past, Francis then invited the mothers present to breastfeed their children if they’re hungry, saying, “go ahead, don’t be afraid, like Mary breastfed Jesus.” “The ceremony is a little long, someone’s crying because he’s hungry. That’s the way it is,” the pontiff said. He has previously voiced his support for breastfeeding, including in public. The benefits of breastfeeding include providing optimal nutrition and an immune system boost for babies, while helping mothers bond with infants and speeding maternal weight loss after birth, says AFP. In many countries around the world, however, women are still widely discouraged from breastfeeding, especially when they are in public. “You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus,” he told worshippers attending an annual ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus.
